Module 25 Human Needs and Motivation: Eat, Drink, and Be Daring Chapter 8, Pages Essentials of Understanding Psychology- Sixth Edition PSY110 Psychology © Richard Goldman November 1, 2006

Weight 2/3 rds of Americans are overweight 1/3 rd of Americans are obese  Body Mass Index (BMI) >30 (BMI=W lbs/H in 2  703)  Considered overweight if >20% above normal Excess weight is a major health risk Healthy weight may differ from our perception of the most attractive weight.  Cultural standards  Personal perception

Hunger & Satiation Biological  Full stomach  Blood sugar level Hypothalamus monitors glucose level and controls appetite Weight Set Point – Weight level that the body tries to maintain  Genetic Set Point Metabolism – Rate that food is converted to energy Habit  We normally eat at the same time each day  When the clock strikes noon we get hungry (Classical Conditioning) Social  We eat to be polite  Celebration  Rewards  Solace Pleasure  It tastes good and feels good (Operant Conditioning)

Causes of Obesity Poor eating habits Environment Ignorance Indifference Affluence Poor diet Low willpower Overly sensitive to food-related cues High homeostatic set point Genetics High levels of leptin (hormone that helps regulate appetite and metabolism) Low metabolism Large number of fat cells Disease

Eating Disorders Anorexia Nervosa – Fear of becoming fat  Refusal to eat adequate amount of food  Excessive exercise  Usually young women  10% starve to death Bulimia – Food craving coupled with fear of becoming fat.  Binge eating followed by purging (Induced vomiting or diarrhea)  Also - normal eating followed by purging

Maintaining Your Correct Weight Do not diet Eat a sensible diet (requires a life style change) Exercise regularly Get a good night’s sleep every night Manage stress

Sexual Motivation Biological  Begins at puberty with the increase of sex hormones Boys – Androgen – Produced in testes  Primary Secondary sex characteristics  Large increase in body hair  Deeper voice  Increase sex drive Girls – Estrogen & Progesterone – Produced in ovaries  Primary Secondary sex characteristics  Moderate increase in body hair  Breast development  Increase sex drive Psychological  Visual, auditory, olfactory, taste, and tactical stimuli play important roles in human sexual arousal.  Almost any neutral stimuli can become a learned arousal stimuli (Classical Conditioning)  Fantasies are common

Masturbation Previously condemned and thought to cause insanity and other maladies Currently viewed as a normal, healthy, legitimate, harmless, and important sexual activity (by most experts) Practiced by almost all men and most women Many people still tend to have a sense of guilt about masturbating Restrictions on masturbation remain in some religions

Heterosexuality Premarital Sex  Increased dramatically since the 1970’s  More acceptable for women Marital Sex  Wide variations in frequency Sever times a day to no sex at all Average is a few time per month  Extramarital Sex 15% of women 25% of men Viewed as wrong by most everyone

Homosexuality 5-10% of the population Cause is unknown – Some suggestions are:  Genetic  Hormones  Brain Structure  Child Rearing  Learning (Operant Conditioning)

Female Circumcision Surgical removal of clitoris Eliminates ability to experience sexual pleasure 80,000,000 women currently circumcised  Cultural custom  Mostly in Africa and Asia  >90% of Nigerian women Illegal in the United States

Need for Achievement High Achievers:  Strong secondary drive  Learned characteristic  Seek competitive, challenging situations Not too easy or not too hard  Need to keep proving themselves  College students Low Achievers  Seek to avoid failure Easy tasks or one that do not have any negative consequences Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) – Used to measure achievement motivation

Need for Affiliation Desire to establish and maintain relationships with others  Stronger in women  Stronger when stressed

Need for Power Desire to impact, control, or influence others Stronger in men  Aggressive  Heavy drinkers  Sexually exploitive  Participate in competitive sports  Prestigious possessions  Extravagant, flamboyant behavior Women display power needs with more constraint  Socially responsible activities  Highly nurturing behavior